


Impulsive Actions

by ELStogs



Series: What Happens When the Fastest Man Alive Collides with the Overdramatic, Badass Bat [5]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DC Animated Universe, DCU (Comics), Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons), Justice League - All Media Types, The Flash (Comics), The Flash - All Media Types
Genre: Badass Batman, M/M, Wally anxiety, Wally worrying about things he doesn't need to, bruce being a dick, but Bruce is always a dick soooo, ignore my formatting for the whole series, its a mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-05-28 20:51:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15057566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ELStogs/pseuds/ELStogs
Summary: There's another speedster running around central city, stopping low level crime before Flash can get to it, moving fast enough so no one can really see them. Wally wouldn't mind if he knew who this speedster was. However, it should be easy enough with the World's Greatest Detective on the case.





	1. CopyCats and Asshole Bats

This was starting to get frustrating for Wally. All week, police reports have come in, he’s changed and rushed to the scene, and showed up only to find his rogues already tied up and beaten. When he questions them, they assume he had done it, seeing just a red streak. And he can’t tell them he’s _not_ doing it. That’s against image. They’d just spread it across the city and use it for their advantage. It’s also not like he doesn’t appreciate the break. It’s nice that he doesn’t have to spend so long locking up the various Captain Something’s in Central City. It means he can spend a little more free time on the east coast (for no reason at all).

Well it would if a certain Bat would just take a friggin night off! Bruce had taken a leave from the Justice League after the Lords incident. It had shaken him. Bad. It was a hard conversation in the founders meeting too. Clark, Diana, and J’onn understood. They’re friends, close, and J’onn can read emotions. You didn’t need to be psychic to see that he needed to get out of the Watchtower for a while. Shay and John were a little more passive aggressive about it, though they’ve been a little more passive aggressive about everything that he does. So Bruce is permanently in Gotham, unless he decides to jump back into the League. Wally thought that would mean more free time. Nope! He patrolls every damn night. Comes back after and goes straight to sleep because, apparently before the split, he’d been averaging two hours a day. Wally knows that he should be happy Bruce is taking care of himself, but with that and this new speedster and not seeing each other on the watchtower, they’ve barely seen each other at all. It’s crap.

It really came to a head for him when he showed up to see Boomer tied in the corner of the jewelry store he had been attempting to rob.

“Hot Damn Flash, I go to Australia to visit me Nan and you start letting a kid do all your shit?”

“Hold it.” He zooms up, bouncing in excitement. A kid? The new speedster is a kid? “You saw him?”

“Yeah. He’s either a kid or real fucking short.” Boomer spits to the side as the lights from the police cars start to flash in the window. “If I see him again, he’s toast. He ain’t as fast as you Flash, and one of you is too many.”

That’s when Flash realized that this new speedster may be inexperienced. Young. They could get hurt. Wally couldn’t let that happen. He had to act and really focus on this to find them. He needed to be a detective.

All these thoughts ran through his head as he made his way home to his apartment, feeding his turtle, finally named Tortellini (tort for short), and thinking over how he could go about this. He’s not a detective. Barry was, an actual police officer with forensics and stuff like that. Wally could fix cars, make hotel coffee and check people in. Central crimes normally don’t come with mysteries to solve. However, he might be able to solve a few of his problems, mainly because he had the world’s greatest detective’s personal cell number.

 

********************

 

“Call Dick. He can fly out to Central on a moment’s notice.”

That wasn’t the answer Wally was expecting.

“I can’t just call Dick! I need you Bruce.” Wally was forcing himself to pace at normal speeds. If he tried to talk while going any faster, the signal would drop.

“I’m off the League Wally, this is League business.” Wally can hear the sigh on the other end of the line. “You can call someone else.”

“Yeah, I know that.” Wally flops down on his couch, watching Tort take bites out of a cherry tomato. “But it’s not League business Bruce. It… It’s personal. This is another speedster, inexperienced and they don’t know what they’re doing. They could accidentally hurt someone without the right control and they need help. And I don’t need the League treating it like a terrorist threat and coming down here guns blazing. I think they’re a kid. I need stealth and sneaky and smart and someone who knows how kids work and there’s no one better at all that than you.”

The phone is quiet for a long moment. Well, not quiet. Wally can hear Bruce parking his sports car that totally doesn’t have nitrous in the engine because that’s irresponsible. He can hear the car being turned off in his garage, the silence of the garage settling around him. The billionaire’s hand falls from the wheel, slapping against what Wally assumes are black slacks, all he ever wears to work.

“Alright. You win. I’ll fly out to central tomorrow. I can’t stay in a hotel. If Bruce Wayne is seen there, we could get swarmed by reporters again.”

“So by fly out, you mean use your fancy bat jet that can travel in space.” Wally can’t keep the smile off his face. “Did you come because I stroked your ego? Or because you pity me?”

“Think of it as a mix.” Wally can hear the smirk in his voice. Ass. “That means I’ll have to stay with you.”

Oh…

Oh no….

Asshole.

“I mean… don’t you have fake IDs or something?”

“Nothing that I can use in the US. Barely work outside of the country anymore either.” Bruce always closes his car door a little harder when he’s gloating. “I need to stay hidden.”

“So you really just agreed so I’d let you into my apartment.”

“Pretty much.” He’s holding back laughter. Such an asshole.

Wally knows it wouldn’t be a big deal for most couples. It’s been a while since they started dating. Wally’s stayed at Bruce’s hundreds of times before. It’s not a big deal. But it is. Bruce’s place is a mansion. Wally’s is a one bedroom apartment next to the laundry rooms. He has superhero pajamas. Bruce can’t stay here.

“I mean… we could both get a hotel… get some serious disguises?”

“It’s an apartment Wally. I’ve seen and stayed in an apartment before. I cannot risk showing Bruce Wayne in central city, and you need help.”

“You suck Bruce.”

“As you know very well.” Wally can hear the door to the garage close. He’s inside now. “I’ll see you tomorrow night Wally.”

“Bye Bruce…”

He never says bye back….

 

********************

 

Wally’s pacing his apartment, again, trying to fight the urge to go supersonic speeds. Why did he agree to this? He could have solved it on his own. He knows that. He’s smart. He can detective as good as the rest of them. He just wanted to spend time with Bruce. Damn him.

He’s spent all day cleaning his apartment, hiding all embarrassing things… most embarrassing things… and stocking his fridge. He doesn’t know how food works now. He can cook some basic things, so he’ll either have to cook for Bruce or get takeout. There’s no Alfred. You can’t Bruce without Alfred. They have to sleep in Wally’s bed. It’s a full size, but it’s not Bruce’s massive King Size memory foam with silk sheets that keep him cool and Wally warm at the same time.

His phone suddenly buzzes with a text.

“Top of Wayne Enterprises”

Wally’s just glad he’s meeting the Bat first. He can handle the Bat. This is a mission. Just that… They’ve also never done a mission just the two of them… Wally needs to stop thinking so hard.

Wally changes quickly into his flash uniform, zipping out of his bedroom window and across the city. He makes a couple quick stops, wants a latte, helps a local man finish his puzzle, that sort of thing. The passive things calm him down. It’s normal. He never understood how Batman could hero without these small things.

He can’t see Bats until he’s right next to him, on top of the building. Central’s Wayne building is one of the tallest in the city. Wally can’t help but wonder if that’s Bruce’s specification.

“You’re slow.” He looks over. Stoic. All Batman.

“Stopped to do some stuff.” He steps over, draping his arm over Batman’s shoulder, knowing he won’t do anything about it. “Besides, we have all night.”

“True, but I need to know a little more from you before we start.”

“Ooh, are you gonna be bad cop?” Wally winks, satisfied when he sees the corner of his mouth twitch up slightly.

“Hush.” He refocuses on the quiet city. “You said you haven’t seen the kid, but you know it’s a kid. How?”

“Boomer, Digger Harkness, he said he saw him for a second.”

“Then that’s our first lead.” Batman pulls away, stepping off the edge of the building and falling down to a lower one, using his cape to glide slightly to avoid the alleyway. Wally’s eye’s naturally start to roll as he jumps off, using momentum to take him to the same spot.

“I already questioned him.” He looks up to the older man. “He just told me what he saw.”

“But he never said how he saw it, or any details about what happened.” Batman looks over to him. “You can’t actually expect people just to tell you everything you need to know.”

“I don’t.” Wally can feel himself flushing under his mask. “Not all criminals are evil Bruce. I figured you knew that.”

“Of course I know that.” Wally feels the gloved fingers brush over his arm. “But it’s not a matter of someone’s morality. People want to protect themselves, so they’ll do anything in their power to do that.”

Wally leaned against the Bat, letting himself have the moment.

“Yeah… You’re right.” He looks up. “The lucky thing is he’s out of Jail… broke out this morning.”

“Alright. You know where he is then?”

Wally pauses at that, staring blankly as the Bat just starts walking.

“Wait. What?” He zips forward, stopping in front of him. “No lecture? Nothing about him not being back in jail? That’s it?”

“Flash, there is an actual road in Gotham that we call Crime Alley. It’s called that for a reason. Pamela Isley and Victor Fries share an abandoned apartment complex.” Wally hates the smirk that he sees growing on his face. “When they’re not doing anything, they’re harmless. Most of my rogues are scientists and doctors who send anonymous research to laboratories. I’m fine as long as they’re quiet.”

Furious. He’s furious. What is this? This is Batman?

“I hate you Bruce.” He knows it’s childish to use names, but that smirk was Bruce’s smirk. Not Batman’s.

“No you don’t. Now lead the way.”

 

********************

 

Batman positions himself in the shadows above the bar, watching Wally as he prepares to just run in and grab Harkness. It was probably not the cleanest plan he ever had, but it was effective. And once they got information from Harkness, Bruce would finally be able to see the speedster’s apartment. It was silly really. Just an apartment. He knew that even after seeing it, the two would still spend more time in the manor. It was just more convenient. Wally could run there in record time, Alfred loved having both of them over. It was just easier. However, in the moment, Bruce didn’t give a shit about easy. This was Wally’s space, his homestead. It’s personal, and Bruce has such a craving for that. Plus, none of his kids are going to barge in on them at the apartment. He loved Damian, but he was about to skin the kid.

Batman almost misses when Flash zips in, only the static in the air giving it away. He can worry about the apartment later. He knows he’s set to be bad cop (he’s always bad cop for a reason), but he’s been in Gotham for a while. He can’t take that into Central. At least not too much.

Soon, the speedster is back on the rooftop with a flustered Digger Harkness. Scowling. Eyes narrowed. Muscles clenched. Hand near his hips. Aggressive.

Batman kicks his leg out before Harkness sees him, knocking the boomerang he was reaching for out of his hand and across the roof. He uses his pause from the shock to step on his wrist, holding it down as Flash kneels in front of him.

“Fuck me. Why’d you bring in the fucking Bat. I stay out of Gotham for a reason Flash.” He’s glaring at Flash now, but there’s a new undertone. Not anger. Fear.

This will be easy.

“Will you calm down Dig. If I wanted you back in jail, you’d be there.” Flash rolls his eyes, completely unphased by Harkness’ aggression. “I just want to talk.”

“Send an email. Don’t pull me away from my beer? The fuck is this about.”

“The boy you saw.” Harkness tenses as soon as he speaks. He had forgotten the Bat was there for a moment. The moment he spoke again, the fear came back tenfold. “We need to know what all happened.”

“Nothin’ fucking happened. A not Flash little twerp came in and tied me up before I could do anything, then hit me in the jaw. Knocked out one of my back teeth.”

Flash frowns at that. Biting his bottom lip. Avoiding eye contact. That worried him. A smaller child could only have that kind of force behind their punch if they were using their speed.

“But you saw him. When?” Harkness’ glare sharpens. Confidence. The Bat hasn’t done anything to him yet.

“Why the fuck should I tell you shit?”

The Bat turns on a dime, sliding his foot off his wrist and swinging it around to his neck. Harkness flies backwards and falls back on the rooftop, Batman’s foot now securely over his throat.

“I asked nicely.”

“Dig, don’t be a smartass. I’ve seen him do some real damage and I’m trying not to let that happen here. But I’m in no hurry to get in between this.” Flash kneels beside his head, becoming the kind figure. “Just tell us.”

Harkness keeps one hand on the Bat’s boot, looking between the two with a mix of fear and…. Concern?

“Alright. Before he hit me, he slowed down. I couldn’t see much, just that he was short, had red hair, and a lot of red in his costume, but it wasn’t all red. I said that he was a kid and he turned around and punched me. Next thing I knew, Flash was there.”

“That all?” The Bat lifts his boot.

“Nah.” He turns to Flash. “Get better friends Mate.”

Batman walks away at that, though he can hear the joking reassurance from Flash as he lets Harkness go. The speedster zips up beside him, smiling.

“If only he knew.” Unphased. “So, what did your big brain pick up on?”

“Since this is a child acting rashly, it’ll be easy to lure him out. He’s focusing on crime, both from your rogues and basic criminals..” He glances over at Flash, taking in his gaze for another moment. “The best way to lure him out would be to commit a crime. One that police radio would pick up on so he could find it faster.”

“Wait. Bats. Flash can’t rob somebody? That’s not how I work.”

“You’re right. Flash can’t. So, we won’t be in costume. Ski masks and dark clothing. The whole nine. Trick the silent alarm at a jewelry store. Easy.”

“Okay. Cool, We can do that tonight!”

“Nope.” He can feel the smirk falling back on his face. “Already too late tonight. Not enough time to pull it off properly. Tomorrow will be fine.” Flash has stopped walking beside him, most likely glaring.

“You just can’t let it go, can you?”

“I rarely let anything go.” He smirks more fully. “Come on. I already have a duffel stashed on the roof of your building.”

“Of course you fucking did…”

Batman suddenly has a firm arm around his middle as the ground goes out from under him. Flash has sped with him before for a mission, but this was different. He was prepared before. Now it’s terrifying as he can’t focus on his surroundings, his mind going blank. He’s frozen when his feet suddenly touch down at Wally’s apartment building. The speedster is pouting, upset at the scenario, though blind to what just happened. Bruce can’t move, his mind tries to fall into it’s defensive mode as he takes in information suddenly, fighting decades of meditation and martial arts training. Flash is speaking. He can’t hear yet. His brain hasn’t given him hearing yet. One at a time. Sight, fine. Smell, stale city air with a BBQ nearby. Fine. Touch, the plates vs netting in his armor. Fine. Taste, questionable, can judge later. Hearing…

“Bruce? Hey… you okay? What’s wrong?” Wally’s concern. Fine

“I… Warn me next time. Wasn’t ready for that.” He shakes his head, breathing slowly to take his mind out of defense mode.

“Oh shit… I’m sorry. I’ve ran with you before, I thought you were okay?”

“I’m fine. Just need the warning first.” He looks up. The speedster is vibrating nervously, holding the duffel in his hands. Guilt. “I’m fine Wally.”

“I’m sorry…” He steps forward, leaning against the Bat’s chest. Normally Batman would protest, but he can let it slide. Wally doesn’t need to be upset. Bruce almost smirks as he feels the Bat going soft.

“I forgive you. Now, I want a shower. Something to eat, and to sleep. So let’s get downstairs.”

“Yeah… I always just climb in through my…”

“Bedroom window.”

Wally’s demeanor changes again, back to frustration. Fantastic.

“Lead the way then.” His voice even sounds pouty. Before the Bat could yell about it, Bruce leans in for a kiss, holding Wally’s chin and staying like that for a long moment.

Taste. Faded coffee and spearmint. Fine.

 

********************

 

Wally is left on the roof after the kiss. Stupid! What was he thinking? He was just so worried about a kid being reckless with their speed powers and he just speeds off with someone without a warning? He’s an idiot. And then the Bat just kisses him? What even is tonight? Now Bruce is in his apartment and….

Bruce is in his apartment!

Wally zips down to his bedroom window, stopping on the fire escape to see Bruce already out of armor, wearing some black sleep pants, tied a little low around his waist. He has a t-shirt in his hands as he turns to looks at Wally, his eyebrow raised.

“Do you normally stand there all night?”

“Um…” He still has star wars sheets on his bed. As Wally climbs in, he uses his speed to change fast, tossing his suit in a dresser drawer. When he slows down, Bruce is fully dressed and his armor packed away. Hidden. “I just.. What do you want to eat? Not a lot is open right now… but there are some places.” Now Bruce is just staring at him, the eyebrow even higher.

“Wally, you have groceries right?” Bruce sounds concerned.

“I… Of course I do… I just thought…” Wally watches Bruce’s face turn from concern to amused.

“Wally, do you think I can’t cook?”

The two stare at each other for a long moment, Wally starting to realize the absurdity of it all. His billionaire bat boyfriend is in his shitty apartment, offering to cook for him.

“I mean… You have Alfred…”

“I do have Alfred. The man raised me. And do you really think that man would raise a child and never make him learn how to cook?” Bruce smirks, turning to the kitchen. “I’ll make breakfast.”

Wally didn’t know what to say for that. He had this illusion of Bruce being a person who could solve a murder in record time, but would break a dishwasher if he tried to use it. That made him balanced. But apparently not. Apparently he really is good at everything. That’s just frustrating.

Wally takes a moment in the bedroom, debating on whether to change the star wars sheets, though deciding that Bruce already saw them. When he steps out, he sees Bruce scrambling eggs on the stove, the toaster already on. The eggs looked like Alfred’s, super creamy and no big hunks of egg.

“So, are you just good at everything? Because I have a problem with that.”

“Not everything.” He puts the toast on to plates, two on the plate for Wally. “Just not bad at the things you’d think.”

Wally rolls his eyes, putting some food into Tort’s cage.

“So was the turtle just for irony? Or did you have a passion I just never knew about.” Wally rolls his eyes at that, zipping back to the kitchen and sitting at the breakfast bar.

“Everything’s fast to turtles. It’s appropriate.” He looks down at the plate of eggs and toast before him. He wants to hate it. It looks a little different from Alfred’s up close, more pepper on top and the toast is a little darker. Still, when he takes a bite, it’s delicious. Damn…

“You know, with your panic about me coming here, I expected the worst.” Bruce looks over to the speedster beside him. “Why were you so worried? This place is nice.”

Wally meets his gaze before looking around the apartment, seeing a pull out couch he had bought used, a chipped coffee table, a small tv, stained countertops in the kitchen… his bathroom needs to be regrouted, his rugs all have stains. It’s a mess.

“Its a shit apartment Bruce. Too small and broken. Don’t lie.” He sees Bruce roll his eyes.

“It’s not small. It’s away from the noise of my home. And not broken. Lived in.” Bruce meets his gaze again. “Stop panicking about things that don’t matter. I’m glad to be here.”

The two eat in silence after that, Wally getting up to wash the dishes before Bruce can. He can see the older man starting to yawn, though he finishes his coffee. They both make their way back into the bedroom, falling into the bed that practically demands they lay on top of each other. After some different rotations, Bruce is spooned behind Wally, his bicep turned into a pillow, and one of Wally’s legs hangs off the bed.

“Told you it was small.”

“Not small.” Bruce presses a kiss to the red hair. “Cozy.” He falls asleep soon after that, leaving Wally to think on Cozy for another few minutes.

 

********************

He pauses at the building for a long moment, his hands shaking. Vibrating. This isn’t Flash. It can’t be. He must be wrong. Missing something. He tracked the wrong person. That’s all. Nothing to worry about. He just needs to track better next time. He’ll find Flash…

 

He has to…

 


	2. Bitersweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce and Wally are ready to catch their mystery speedster

Wally wakes up first, going to make something to eat so they wouldn’t tire out in mission. He had just made a few sandwiches and fed Tort when the man steps into the room. Bruce may be graceful and charismatic, but not when he wakes up. He stumbles out of bed and sips coffee for a solid 30 minutes, usually without saying a word. Wally’s only ever seen him move quickly after waking up if it was an emergency. This was similar. He thuds into the kitchen, grabbing a mug from Wally’s cabinet and pouring coffee, not bothering to sweeten it any. He leans against the counter, downing the first cup like it wasn’t steaming hot, immediately pouring a second one.

“Morning Sunshine.” Wally smirks. Ignoring the Bat Glare that gets sent his way. 

Bruce doesn’t respond, resting his eyes as he continues to nurse the mug. The two fall into a silent rhythm, Wally putting food on a plate for them to eat and Bruce refilling their coffees each time they empty. It’s quiet, similar to the silence Wally feels when waking up alone, but comforting. It is, however, very different from the usual bustling noise of the manor in the morning, as whatever batkid comes through to take Damian to school, allowing Bruce to sleep in, though he never can. The moment the noise starts, he’s awake, letting his morning grumps pass while he listens to whatever arguments (civilized discussions) are taking place a floor below him. Alfred always brings in a pot of coffee and mugs, letting them drink their fill alone. He looks the same on both types of mornings (evenings?) but Wally thinks he likes them both for different reasons.

The grumps start to fade after coffee number 4, allowing the man to open up and start eating.

“So, is your genius plan really to dress up like burglars and pretend to rob a store.”

“It is.” Bruce hums when he puts down his now empty plate. “This kid is probably following police radio. You’re not finding him when any rogue is trying to be overdramatic and it would end up on the news. It’s always when an alarm is triggered. You both may hear it at the same time, but you have to work around your life. He’s right there. We just need to give him something to bite.”

“Right, but what if he doesn’t come? I can’t risk using my speed to get us out.” Wally rinses his dishes and sets them in the sink. “And I don’t want to run from the police.”

“Calm down. It’ll be fine. I spent a lot of my early days running from the police.” He steps up to wash them fully, ignoring Wally’s raised eyebrow. 

“You really were raised by a butler…” Wally rolls his eyes, going to dry the dishes as they’re washed. “And why the Hell were you running from the police?”

“Heroes weren’t a normal thing back then. Gotham’s police force was run by the mob. I was a wrinkle they didn’t want, so I was shot at.” He smirks to Wally as he passes the last clean dish over. “And Alfred knows the value in a clean kitchen.”

Wally rolls his eyes at that, putting the dishes away at slightly faster than normal speed before looking back to the older man.

“Right. So did you happen to bring any criminal outfits? Or do I have to go do some speed shopping?”

Wally was half joking when he said that, not expecting a credit card to be placed in his hand just after.

“The latter. You know my sizes, and I need to shower.”

“I… I can’t just go buy different clothes with Bruce Wayne’s card.” It has his name on it. The card and it has his name on it. “What the actual fuck Bruce?”

“Calm down. It doesn’t link to my main accounts. Just a side one.” Bruce leans against the wall, taking up a defensive stance. He’s not taking the card back. “It’s for emergencies.”

“This isn’t normal Bruce.”

“Yet you’re not the first person to have one.” Bruce firms his gaze. “I’m not arguing here. You may never use it and that’s fine, but you’re keeping it just in case.”

“Fine.” Wally sighs, pulling on his flash boots. “I’ll be right back then.”

He rushes out of the apartment through the window, racing his way through different sports stores on different ends of the city so no one gets suspicious. He just barely finishes telling the cashier at the third shop about this ski trip he’s taking with his sister when he remembers that Bruce is showering in his apartment. Oh God. He nearly breaks the sound barrier getting to the last place when he takes a moment, breathing deeply. It’s fine. Bruce is fine in his apartment… in his shower. He doesn’t need to worry about him seeing the kind of mess his shower is… or his flintstones toothbrush. The man slept on Star Wars sheets. Wally needs to breathe. Calm down. Bruce isn’t embarrassed by him… He thinks.

 

********************

 

Wally’s shower is far from the smallest Bruce has ever used. Yes, the ones in the cave and in his own bathroom are massive, but the cave shower used to be nothing but a curtain and a showerhead that only had a cold setting. His years on the run gave him even fewer options, sometimes having had to resort to bathing in a river. Showers were one of those luxuries that Bruce demanded. He was fairly simplistic with most of his other desires, but if he was going to shower, he liked to do it in style.

Still, a large part of him enjoyed this small shower/tub combo that Wally had. It was like the rest of the apartment: in need of a little cleaning, smaller than it probably should be, and just a little broken in places. However, this place was all Wally West. From the dip in the couch cushions where he normally eats his meals in front of the tv to the silly things like his sheets and his toothbrush. This apartment is entirely Wally West, and has nothing of Bruce Wayne. Perfection didn’t exist in the world of Wally West. If something came out that way, it was an act of fate. Bruce craves that sometimes, though it’s a more recent addiction. Side effect of dating the speedster, though he’s not complaining.

He steps out of the shower, towel wrapped around his waist when he hears the rustle of the curtains, slight static crackling in the air. As if on cue, Wally steps into the bathroom with a few bags. 

“Got our criminal outfits. This better not be a regular date option.” Bruce catches Wally’s pause when he spots his bare chest. Fresh marks. Not what he wanted. “Where’d those come from?”

“Riot on east side a few nights ago. Nothing big.” He takes the bags. “I’m alright Wally. Be out in a second.”

The speedster leaves reluctantly, allowing Bruce to dress in silence. He almost finds it amusing that this ‘criminal outfit’ as Wally put it, is just as dark as his armor. If it wasn’t so recognizable at this point, he’d have stuck with his armor. Making the bat so well known is both a positive and negative of the league. On the plus side, more criminals who may have heard of him before know he’s real and are more fearful of him from reputation, see Harkness from last night. However, the illusion and secrecy is gone. The Batman is real. He exists, which can make his job harder sometimes. He’s expected to play by league rules. Bruce honestly isn’t sure if he’s willing to go back. 

He steps out of the bathroom to find Wally in his own all black attire.

“Have I said that this is a bad idea? Because it is.” Bruce smirks at that, taking a ski mask from the redhead.

“Do you want to catch your speedster or not?”

“I mean, yeah. But how do you even know how to trick the right alarm?” Bruce can’t always predict what response face he’ll make to the speedster, though the automatic amusement makes sense here. “If you’re actually a criminal, as your boyfriend, I demand you tell me.”

“Let’s go Wally. While the night is young.” It’s not the nicest thing, but it is really fun messing with Wally. Bruce steps out onto the fire escape and climbs up to the roof, letting Wally roll his eyes before speeding to beat him to the top.

There is a long silence when they both are up on the rooftop. Both remember last night. There’s fear radiating from Wally again. Regret. Bruce doesn’t like that. He needs the speedster to understand that there is trust between them. A trust well earned. He silently lifts his arm, enough room for the younger man to slip under and grip him. Wally pauses. Hesitation.

“It’s alright Wally.” Bruce keeps his arm up, giving the speedster time to slowly step over.

“The place on Fourth we talked about?”

Bruce nods, squeezing his arm around the more slender shoulders and kissing his hair. Wally waits another moment before taking them. They’re on the roof of the little jewelry shop in less than a second. When Bruce opens his eyes, his brain isn’t attempting to shut down. Peaceful.

“All good?”

“Perfect.” He offers a small smile before putting on the mask. “Now let’s rob a jewelry store.

“I swear.” Wally follows suit, keeping close to him as they sneak into the store, Bruce easily able to pick the lock to the bars over the window. Once inside, it’s a puzzle. There are two activated motion detectors on the floor, though they are near the register. There are multiple other unactivated ones. Most likely they’re regularly tripped by the owner. Police would call them on the way, probably not alert anyone else on the scanner until they knew it was different. Not enough time with the kid. Cases it is. Detectors on the locks. Need to be deactivated by owner’s special key. Picking the lock will alert the police and immediately get them talking through their radios. Kid will show up long before anyone else. He immediately steps to the cases, triggering the silent alarm, a small thunk under the register giving it away.

“Alright, he’s on his way.”

“We’ve been in here like a second. How did you figure out what to do already?” Wally stares in disbelief, bringing another smirk to Bruce.

“Too fast for you?”

“I swear, you actually are a criminal.”

There’s a sudden crackle of lightning and Bruce is sent flying to the back wall. He twists in the air, able to land on his feet, though he’ll have a nasty bruise on his abdomen. The kid is fast, but Wally is faster, able to zip in front of the kid and get him into a headlock.

“You alright?”

“Fine.” He stands up fully, looking over at the struggling speedsters. The kid has red hair too, wearing his own red and white costume.

“Let me go! I… I’ll get the Flash. He’s a personal friend.”

“Dude, I don’t know you.” The kid stills at that. No longer vibrating, Bruce can see the shock on his face. He knows he’s been had.

 

********************

 

The police surrounded the building just after they left, finding nothing but a note saying “sorry <3” signed with Flash’s signature lightning bolt. He kept hold of the kid, now a couple rooftops over, though he’s not struggling as much.

“There’s no way you’re Flash. He would never work with criminals.”

“Who said I’m working with criminals?”

“You did! Dumbass…”

Wally can practically feel Bruce smirking from the other end of the rooftop.

“It’s called a joke. And I’m not letting you go until you tell me who you are and what you want with Flash.”

“I’m not telling you anything!” Wally clamps his hand over the kid’s mouth to silence the shouting, at a loss for what to do.

Bruce pulls the ski mask off, slipping it into his pocket before he approaches the speedsters, both with similar surprised looks.

“What are you doing?”

“We’re high up enough. No one will spot us up here.” He kneels in front of the kid, reaching up and pushing Wally’s hand away from his mouth. “We got off on the wrong foot. I’m Bruce. That’s Wally. We don’t want to hurt you. You’re strong and doing good work, but we want to make sure you’re safe while you do it. Going alone can be hard for people who have more experience.”

Wally’s grip goes lax in even more shock. He can’t just do that. This kid is being unreasonable. He’s not gonna… He’s listening to him…

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” The kid doesn’t move when Wally relaxes his grip, watching the older man skeptically, though genuinely listening.

“See that big building over there?” He nods to the Wayne Enterprises in the distance. “I own that. You go down to any magazine stand and you’ll see my face.” The boy relaxes more.

“Okay… I’m Impulse…” He bites his bottom lip. “Where’s the Flash?”

“I am…” The two turn to Wally as he takes off his mask, the kid almost looking like he forgot the other man was there. “I’m the Flash.”

“No. Not you. Barry Allen…” He starts to quiet at that, holding his own hand. “I… I need to find Barry Allen. It’s important.”

Wally wasn’t sure what to say to that.

“I… I’m sorry kid… Barry… he died. A few years ago.” Wally can see the hope leave the kid’s face.

“So I didn’t go back far enough…” He sinks to sit on the rooftop, mumbling to himself. “I thought I had it right… The newspaper said there was a Flash and a Kid Flash… That means Barry Allen and…” He pauses, looking over to the redhead. “Wally West… That’s you?”

“I…” He almost couldn’t speak. “You… You went back in time? From when?”

“Thirty-first century… It’s where mom landed when she was sent forward.”

Now he couldn’t speak. He couldn’t breathe.

“What’s your name?” Bruce’s voice is almost like a lighthouse. Safety is there. Sanity is there. “You’re real name.”

“Bart… Bart Allen.” He finally takes off his own mask. Iris’ hair, almond shaped eyes, freckles across the bridge of his nose. Just like Wally. Barry’s blue eyes, hooked nose, oval face. 

“Oh my God…”

“Look. I’m sorry. You weren’t supposed to see me. Only Barry.” He stands up. “I need to go back further.”

Wally is frozen for another long moment, staring at the boy. Iris had lived. In another century, but she lived. She had their baby… Their son…

“You… you want to stop him from making the jump…” Wally’s hand starts to shake. “Then… he… He didn’t make it?”

“No…” He looks down, all anger melting from his face to reveal… a kid. A lonely kid.. “Mom barely did… made her sick… She died when I was three.”

The three sat in silence for another long moment. Wally can feel Bruce staring at him, waiting before he makes another move. Wally can only think of telling him the truth… no matter how much it’ll hurt.

“You can’t stop him…”

“What? No… If I tell him what happens then he…”

“He’ll see that his wife lived a little longer. He’ll see that his son was born and no one died except him.” He sighs. “He made the jump because, if he didn’t, hundreds more would die… If you tell him it worked, he’s only gonna make sure it happens that way.”

Bart glares up at Wally weakly before sinking back down, looking exhausted.

“Your dad was a hero… The best man I’ve ever known.” Wally kneels beside him. “He’d be proud of everything you’ve been doing here… Stopping bad guys.”

“By myself? He’d be okay with that?”

“I covered myself in unstable chemicals and got myself struck by lightning and he made me pancakes.” Wally smirks, happy to see a smile forming on Bart’s face. “In his eyes, as long as you were trying, you did a good job.”

“You were rewarded for that?”

Wally pauses, looking over at Bruce’s incredulous face.

“I mean, by Barry. Aunt Iris screamed at me until she lost her voice and purposely cooked things I hated for months, but I had to eat them because my metabolism was even worse then.”

Bart smiles more at that, looking down at his feet. Bruce stands up, looking around the area, starting to get nervous about being unmasked out in the open. Wally knew he’d never feel safe without one, but he knew Bart needed honesty. There’s nothing more honest than losing a mask. 

“Look… Bart. Let’s take this back to my place… Get us both something to eat before we figure out what to do.”

“I’m not going back.” He looks back up, meeting Wally’s eyes with a firm gaze. “There’s no one there for me. I was just an orphan.”

“I’m not gonna make you go back Bart… Just… We need to get you somewhere like a family. I can be part of it, but you’ll be able to see from my apartment that I can barely keep myself alive.” He smiles weakly to the boy, pretending not to notice the tears welling in his eyes. “But I want to be a part of it. And maybe the Titans. They’re a team I used to be a part of, full of people your age who are fighting to be heroes. They’d love to have you there. So when you’re not with me… you could be with them.”

Wally is nearly thrown backwards from the force of Bart tackling him in a hug. Wally knows the real weight of taking care of a kid hasn’t hit him yet. He’s just lucky he has Bruce to ask for advice. He didn’t really care at the moment. He remembers hearing this kid’s heartbeat. He can see Barry and Iris in him. Nothing in the world could stop him from taking care of Bart Allen. 

 

********************

 

Bruce watched from the narrow hallway as Wally put another blanket on Bart, the boy already asleep in the pull out sofa. The kitchen was clean after the three had sandwiches, the speedsters nearly going through two loaves bread themselves. The kid was chatty once he relaxed, must be something from the family itself at this point. 

Wally and Bart are about the same age apart that he and Dick are. Bruce knows that Wally is feeling a lot right now, but even more so, Dick made him a better person. Bart will do something similar for Wally. He doesn’t need to be a better person. Bart and Wally will walk their own path.

Bruce is pulled from his thoughts when the redhead takes his hand, quietly pulling him back into the bedroom. Bruce closes the door behind them, smiling as his lover starts to vibrate excitedly.

“She made it Bruce. Barry got her out.” Wally leans forward to rest his head on Bruce’s chest. “I can’t believe he time jumped…”

“Barry or the kid?”

“Both?” Wally shrugs. “Barry was able to. He’d done it before and knew how dangerous it was… Always told me to be careful with the speed force until I knew how it worked. What Bart did was really dangerous. He might have permanently altered history.”

“Not necessarily.” He rubs Wally’s back, resting his chin on top of his head. “He said he read a paper… a Flash and a Kid Flash. Maybe he was meant to come back.”

“Maybe…” Wally’s hand grips the soft grey cotton of Bruce’s t-shirt. “You don’t think he’ll try to jump to Barry do you?”

“Not right now. But he’s almost a teenager. Eventually he will want to know for himself.”

“I was telling the truth before… I knew Barry. If he knew he was the only death, he’d do it in a heartbeat.”

“I believe you.” He kisses the top of his head, gently leading him to the bed.

“You’d have liked him.” Wally lays down first, gently tugging the older man to lay beside him. “He was a lot like Clark, all noble and good, but he could find a way to smile in anything.”

“You don’t know Clark that well.” Bruce smirks lightly. “Lois and I have made an artform out of making him lose his cool.”

“You call me childish.”

Bruce smirks more, leaning in to kiss his head. “I just flew halfway across the country, missed 3 pretty important meetings, and left a drugs bust to Tim and Stephanie to take care of, all just so I could see your apartment. I’m extremely childish.”

“You did it because I asked.” Wally rolls his eyes. “You’re a big softie Bruce Wayne.”

Bruce doesn’t respond to that, listening as the speedster’s breathing starts to even out. The man’s grip on his shirt goes lax, though stays firm enough to keep the cloth bunched up in his hands. Their legs are tangled together.

“Are they some of the others who have a card? Lois and Clark?” Bruce knew Wally wouldn’t let that go easily.

“They are. Though Lois is using it for Wedding planning right now.”

“We’re gonna have a group discussion about this once you get back on the watchtower.”

Bruce doesn’t respond to that. How can he? He might not ever join back with the League again. Wally notices Bruce’s silence, looking up at him.

“You are coming back right?”

“Not sure.” Bruce sighs, running his fingers through the red hair. “I don’t think I should. Not just for my own health, but… If the League goes dark, I need to have some distance.”

“You don’t really think we will…” His voice is hesitant.

“I’d be a fool to discount the possibility.”

They stop talking after that. Wally leans up to press soft, slow kisses along Bruce’s lips and jaw. The air is tense, though reasonably so. Wally doesn’t want to entertain the idea that the people he loves, his friends, could go rogue. Bruce, on the other hand, needs to think about it. He always has. He’s been planning for the worst from the moment he met Superman. It would break him, but he would do what needs to be done. However, he can’t trust himself to do that if he’s so close. He looks down as the redhead drifts off. Close. He’s not sure which would be worse anymore. Clark is his oldest friend besides Alfred. He trusts the man with his family. His home. He has plans to protect the Kents and Lois if the worst happens. However, looking down at the redhead snoring quietly on his chest, his stomach ties in knots at the thought. There is a part of him that doesn’t want to believe that Wally could go dark. But he can’t discount it. No matter what. Bruce doesn’t sleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say, yes I know the Tornado twins are a thing, and I love them. But I wanted Bart to have a very personal connection to Barry and Iris. It matters even more later in my plans. And I didn't expect it to end the way it did... but there we go.....

**Author's Note:**

> Hi again! I need to go back through all these and give them a proper edit, but then as soon as I dive back in, I just start writing new things.... It's very not productive. I'll be smart about it soon though. The second half of this is almost done as well, so this won't be a 6 month long wait. (hopefully.... knock on wood for me...)


End file.
